


Best Friends Since Pre-K

by Deyinel



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deyinel/pseuds/Deyinel
Summary: An AU story. What if Ron and Shego had grown up as best friends instead of Ron and Kim? When Shego gains comet powers and many of her friends desert her Ron will still be by her side. Will she still follow the path of evil when she has his light? Rongo.
Relationships: Shego/Ron Stoppable
Kudos: 6





	1. A New Day

Best Friends Since Pre-K  
Disclaimer: Not mine! I should think that this would be obvious.   
Here is my AU fic featuring a young Ron and Shego who are growing up together as friends. This was largely inspired by my oneshot I Still Hate Him, and also by numerous fan comments.   
Please enjoy the first chapter.

Dedicated to everyone who has wanted to see this and who voted for it in the polls!

“Di, wait up!”  
The slender, dark haired girl slowed down and began to jog in place as she waited for her friend.   
“Why are you always so chipper in the mornings?” Ron asked breathlessly as he drew level with her. Slender too, almost skinny, Ron was two inches shorter than his friend Diana. He sported freckles and messy blond hair which seemed oddly appropriate with his pale complexion. He was also not quite as out of breath as he appeared and his grin showed that this was a game the two of them played together. Instead of answering his question, his companion raised one eyebrow and glared at him from large, gray-blue eyes.   
“I hate it when you call me that,” she complained. “If it was anyone other than you, you know they would end up in pain!”  
“Well, why do you think I call you that at every opportunity?” Ron asked in mock surprise. In response Diana punched him on the shoulder, but lightly. It was really more of a tap.  
“Ouch,” Ron complained, rubbing the injured spot. “Martial artists are mean!”  
“Are we including you in that category, Mr. Tai Shing Pek Quar?” Diana asked innocently, and Ron stuck out his tongue. This seemed to close the argument, or at least to put it on hold temporarily, and the two friends started off again toward school.  
It was a bright, cloudless morning, stereotypically cheerful and filled with the songs of birds, heard faintly through the rush of Go city’s traffic. As they walked, Ron glanced across at Diana. Her dark green backpack was slung over her shoulders and, like his, looked much too heavy for someone with such a slim frame.   
Why did kids always have to get so much homework in school all the time? It was almost as though you were never really out of school. As soon as the bell rang, symbolizing sweet freedom, you ran home and, if you were like him, tried to forget about the homework piled up to your chin. Most of the time Diana and he would get together and help each other through their homework. After all, misery likes company. It wasn’t all misery, of course. It somehow never was when you were with your best friend, no matter what you were doing.  
They usually got together at his house, because his parents spent most of their time working and they either had the place to themselves, or felt as though they did. Besides, Diana’s house was usually…difficult.  
It was so beautiful today, Ron reflected. Everything around them seemed to speak eloquently of new life, regeneration and second chances. He glanced across at his companion again and smiled, attempting to communicate his feelings this morning; like his heart was soaring on gossamer wings. In return for his smile he received a conspiratorial wink from Diana. She didn’t say anything, but the sparkle in her eyes was enough to let him know that they were on the same page.  
The day before them was open, excepting school and the ever-present homework. It wasn’t as though he and Diana were popular, exactly, but they had their circle of friends, and they generally found an empty table and somebody’s deck of cards during lunch and played several rousing, and very loud, games of Bugger Bridge.  
They rounded a corner, and the school came in site. It was fairly old and boxy with that ancient feeling gray stone lends to any edifice, but the building was lived up by the large, bay windows of the newly refurbished library and the budding branches of several white birches who seemed to kiss the sky with their feathery tips.  
This was not a morning spent longing for things you couldn’t have, or a morning when you wished you could stay home in bed and snuggle into your pillow. It was one of those rare mornings when the day seemed made for you. When every leaf, every cloud, every faceless pedestrian who passed you seemed a friend. This was a morning for enjoying everything you did and everything you saw around you.  
These days never last, but a fact of that magnitude is too somber to exist on a morning such as this.

Hey guys, thanks for reading! I hope you like the start, and the next chapter will hopefully be up soon.   
Thanks a lot guys!  
PS: Reviews brighten my day and inspire me to write. How about sending me some? ;)


	2. The Pros and Cons of School

Best Friends Since Pre-K chapter 2  
Disclaimer: Disney owns Kim Possible and they are highly unlikely to give it to me. Although it is on my birthday list…  
Hey there KP fans! Here is chapter 2. Yes, I know that my chapters are still short, and I’m sorry about that. Once the story becomes more exciting (which will happen,) the chapters will be longer too, I promise. 

In response to a review which asked what Bugger Bridge was: Bugger Bridge is a very fun card game. I play it all the time with my friends and family. It is sort of like Yuker in the way that it has suits which are respectively the highest cards in the game, though no bowers. Basically you all bid on how many tricks you think you can win and you get points if you win that amount. Also, the number of tricks in each hand varies as well as the suit which is more powerful, and the bids made by everyone cannot add up to the amount of tricks in play. To break it down, at least one person must fail to win his or her tricks each round. This encourages the other players to attempt to mess each other up so that they will get ahead in points. There are a lot more rules to this game, but if you feel like looking them up on the internet and trying the game with your friends it is lots of fun. (The game can also be called Screw Your Neighbor, and Oh Hell.) Enjoy! ;)

The school where Ron and Diana spent their days was made of rough, gray stone that was just beginning to look worn around the edges. It was of a very modest size, but they had recently added a new gym onto the back of it, which seemed, at first glance, almost as large as the school itself. The refurbished library also lent the school an air of sophistication and higher learning for the discerning viewer, not that many of the students were conscious of this effect.  
Diana glanced up at the familiar walls as she and Ron entered the shadow of the building and approached the large double doors. A morning of prison she thought, but not unhappily. She didn’t like school, true. She found many of the classes that she was required to take to be boring; taught by tired teachers who spoke as if they knew everything. They told you that what you learned was fact, pure and simple, which was really a ridiculous mentality even for a science class. So many things people believed today might easily be overturned with a new discovery tomorrow. And when it came to her English courses, when teachers pretended that they knew the intent of authors about who very little was really known by anyone, well then she had a hard time not arguing right to their faces.   
Diana liked literature. She wasn’t a book worm, but she read quite a lot and had several favorites which she came back to every couple of years and never got tired of. But when she read the books for class, quite frequently she didn’t exactly agree with what her teachers, particularly Mr. Haberd or Miss Star thought they meant. But she was still required to write about these views in her essays and in exams, of course.  
However, in spite of annoyances like this, Diana knew that the school was merely a means to an end. She didn’t quite know what she would like to become yet, but she knew that wherever she wanted to go, school would help to take her there.  
“Diana, look!” Ron exclaimed, breaking into her unconscious thoughts. On the bulletin board next to them in the hallway was a new piece of paper, conspicuous because it was coloured bright pink. In the center of the sheet, large black letters proclaimed:

7 Stories  
A Play by Morris Panych  
Auditions in the Theatre  
3:30pm, Friday April 6th

“Auditions are this Friday,” Ron said with a kind of hunger in his voice. Diana looked over at her friend quickly.   
“It’s not a musical, is it?” she asked.  
“No.” Ron was still eyeing the garish paper. “I haven’t seen it,” he continued, “But I did read the script, years ago. It’s a kind of satire, um…absurd theatre. It’s really funny.”  
“Well, do you think you’ll try out?”   
Ron pulled at his ear uncertainly with one hand. He looked wistfully at the notice. “Maybe,” he said slowly.   
Diana watched him. She thought he should at least try out, both because he really seemed to want to, and because she knew how good he was at performing and getting people’s attention. He would probably be really well suited. But because he wanted this so much he was clearly nervous and didn’t want to set himself up for rejection. She knew that feeling all too well herself, and she also knew what Ron said to her when she hesitated about following her dreams.   
“Hey,” she said, and Ron pulled his eyes away from the bulletin board and focused them on her. “You know that you’ll really regret it if you don’t try out.” Diana smiled at him a little.  
“I know…” Ron offered uncertainly.  
“And what did you say to me when I wouldn’t go out for cheerleading?”  
“No fair, it’s not…”  
“It’s exactly the same,” Diana countered. “Come on.” Her smile was wider now, a little mischievous.  
Ron sighed. “The only people who fail are the ones who don’t try,” He said with dignity. He was clearly annoyed that she had succeeded in using his own argument against him, but Diana could tell that he wasn’t annoyed enough not to listen to the logic.  
“And…” she persisted.  
“And…I can handle this.” Ron finally cracked a smile. “I am never encouraging you again,” he declared.   
“Aw, but then how would I win arguments?” Diana laughed. A bell rang out high over head.   
“Here’s an argument,” Ron said, nodding at the suddenly hurrying students around them. “Five minutes to get to class.”  
“Duly noted,” Diana agreed, hurriedly checking her backpack for math book and binder. “I’ll see you in English, and I’ll help you practice this evening, okay? You’ll knock the judges dead.”  
“Not too dead I hope.” Ron smiled and waved as he turned and headed down the hallway toward his geography class. Diana waved too. She knew it was going to be a good day. Now if she could only survive her looming math quiz it would be excellent. Tossing her long black hair over her shoulder, she grabbed her bag and walked swiftly in the opposite direction from her best friend. The sunlight fell through the corridor’s windows as stripes of warmth and she closed her eyes as she passed through them. The school would lead them wherever they wanted to go, and the world was open.

As you can see, I’ve used my creative license on Shego’s character, but I rather like how she is turning out. Ron is also a little different from his character in the show with achievements such as his monkey kung fu and different interests. I do think these changes are believable, but I would love to hear what you all think.  
Oh, 7 Stories is a really good play. It is funny and strange and well worth reading and especially watching. I also happen to think that Ron would be excellent in this play. Most of the characters are quite ridiculous or paranoid, and I could easily see him in one of those roles, but we’ll have to see what happens in that regard. ;)   
Thanks for reading!


	3. Trying

Best Friends Since Pre-K Chapter 3  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible, or the play 7 Stories. However, I am attempting to combine them into an interesting story.  
Hello everyone. Here is chapter 3, and I hope you enjoy it. That’s it, so have fun!

The day passed slowly, a long muddle of classes and work, but it did pass. It was especially slow for Ron. He could think of nothing except the poster he had seen that morning. It hovered in front of his eyes as he attempted to stay awake in class and ate his bag lunch in the cafeteria. Although he had tried not to show it too much in front of Diana, he really wanted to be in that play. It had been a long time since he had read the script, but he had liked the witty dialogue and ridiculous situations so much that it had stayed with him. He had particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition between lighthearted humor, and the grim realities which it overlaid. Not that he put it that way to himself.  
And now it was actually going to be performed in his school, and he didn’t just want to see it, he wanted to experience it. He’d never acted before, at least not in a real play, and he really had no idea if he’d be good or not, but Diana, and he, had been right. If he failed the audition, at least he’d have tried. If he didn’t even attempt it than he didn’t even deserve to get the part. It made sense in theory, but it did little to comfort him when he thought of standing up there on the stage and being judged by people he didn’t even know.  
After dinner, Diana showed up as promised, to be a more sympathetic, but no less critical, audience. Ron had picked up one of the audition sheets from the drama office, and he could have sworn that the paper felt hot when he retrieved it from his book bag.  
He would be reading for The Man, which made sense, since he was the main character. And Ron was good. The Man, despite his attempted suicide, was the most normal person in the play, and Ron was able to capture his bewilderment concerning the other characters very well. Ron could also adapt a kind of wry sarcasm on some lines which made Diana chuckle. Of course, this reading was in front of a friend, not the intimidating drama teacher.  
They halted for a break after a while of practicing, and Ron dug some sodas out of the fridge. He felt that he desperately needed something unhealthy to relax him. He plopped down on the sofa next to Diana, and for a minute they merely sipped in companionable silence. Diana was still thumbing through the play.  
“This really is funny,” she said after a moment. “And also…kind of grim. I can see why you like it though.”  
“Yeah.” Ron smiled fondly. “It’s one of my favorites. I also really like The Producers, but that one’s a musical.” He shrugged as though he were facing an immovable barrier. “I wouldn’t have even been able to try out for it.”  
Diana glanced at him knowingly. “What are you talking about?” she demanded. “You have a great singing voice.”  
“Shhhhhhhh!” Ron said urgently. “Di, that is between you and me. I would lose absolutely all of my guy cred if anyone else knew that.”  
“We’re the only ones here,” Diana protested, laughing. “Just who exactly is going to overhear us?”  
“Not the point,” Ron said sternly, although he was also finding it difficult to keep from laughing. “If you say it in here, you’ll say it out there, at school or some place, and then – bam! Someone will be telling me try out for the ballet squad.”  
There was a silence.  
“You know,” Diana said thoughtfully after a moment, “I bet you would look good in one of those pink leotards.” Ron flushed to the tips of his ears, and Diana laughed again. The next second she was on the floor, and Ron was bearing down on her with one of the sofa cushions; a nasty green embroidered one, covered with buttons. “Kidding! I was kidding!” Diana corrected desperately. But Ron’s fighting blood was up now, and he raised the pillow. Diana abandoned pleading as being ineffective, and turned to her other resort, flight. She suddenly rolled to the side, avoiding the green throw pillow by a whisker, and scrambled to her feet, thin legs flailing awkwardly for a moment before she managed to get them under her. Then she was off like a gazelle, with Ron after her. Both were laughing now. Diana was finally cornered against the kitchen wall. She raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, I give. I’m sorry. Can we get back to practicing now?”  
“Okay,” Ron sighed. He lowered the pillow, then suddenly raised it again and whacked it across the side of his friend’s face. “You had it coming,” he said, reasonably, and then turned and walked serenely back to the living room. Diana smiled slyly at his back. The round was his, for now. And Ron was right about one thing; they still had a lot of work to do.  
In her den, down the hallway, Millie Stoppable sighed in relief as silence took hold of the house once again. Ron was such a wild boy, at least when that Andron girl was over. She wished the two of them would spend more time over at Diana’s house, or somewhere else, but it was good that Ron actually managed to get his homework finished this way. Well, hopefully he would get a part in this play and spend a lot of time at the school rehearsing. She loved her son dearly, but she still had to work. Lifting her hot mug carefully, Millie sipped the fragrant tea, and then bent over her desk again, dismissing idle thoughts from her mind as she did so.

When Ron looked back on it, it seemed that the week had whirled by in a heartbeat. Classes, meals homework, hanging out; all together it didn’t make for much time to brood about the tryouts. Although…was that a good thing? He wondered whether there wasn’t some sort of worry limit which had to be met. Because he hadn’t worried very much this week, perhaps it was all crowding in on him now.  
He swallowed and glanced at his piece of script again. He knew it by heart, of course, but it couldn’t hurt to go over it in his mind one last time. He wished fervently that Di was here waiting with him, but she had cheerleading practice. She had demanded that he come to the gym right after the tryouts and let her know how it had gone.  
Frankly he wasn’t sure he was going to live that long.   
Ron glanced over at the clock on the wall of the waiting room. Three fourty-three. In another two minutes it would be his turn, and the clock seemed to be moving both too quickly and too slowly, if that were possible. He was waiting in a small room usually used to store props. It was empty now except for a stack of black plastic chairs, some cupboards against the wall, and a large orange…thing made of foam. Ron had no idea what it was supposed to be, and he was much too busy mentally going over his lines again to spare any brainpower for speculating on it now.   
The other people in the room didn’t seem nearly as nervous as he was. Ron glanced around at them surreptitiously. There were three people waiting, besides himself. Two of them, a boy with dark hair and glasses and a girl with long brown hair, were chatting together quietly, their scripts held in a loose, relaxed manner. No doubt they had been in several plays before now. The other person was Michel Gordon, the son of the Mayer, and star of the last three school productions. Ron knew him only from watching the plays, and by reputation of course. The other two he didn’t know at all. Michel was leaning against the wall and listening to something on his headphones, apparently completely unconcerned about the outcome of the tryouts. Ron was thankful that at least Michel was going after him. He wouldn’t like to have to follow someone like that.  
The door opened and Mrs. O’Neil stuck her head inside with a smile. “Next,” she said, quite calmly for someone who announces the end of the world, and Ron followed her out of the door and towards the waiting stage. He felt strangely calm now that it was his turn. He knew he was ready. Whether he made the cut or not, Diana was right. He was glad he was here.

Thanks for reading guys.   
I didn’t make Diana’s last name Goh because I think her villain name, Shego, come from Go city, rather than her own last name. I’m not sure whether her real last name is ever revealed in the show, and if it was, than I’m sorry about that. I rather like the name Diana Andron though. Let me know what you think.  
I realize I’m focusing quite a bit on Ron right now, but you will see some more from Diana’s point of view in the next few chapters. And the action will be starting fairly soon as well. ;)  
See you next time!


	4. The Comet

Best Friends Since Pre-K chapter 4  
Disclaimer: I own no aspects of Kim Possible. This fact is now thoroughly documented.  
The action is finally starting, so wish me luck. I’ll try to be true to the characters in the chapters to come.  
Enjoy!

The comet was beautiful. Even from the ground it was a splendor of dazzling colour. Citizens saw it pass overhead, uncomfortably close, or so it seemed. They called friends and families outside to watch as it soared through the sky, though with a kind of frightened awe reserved for those mysteries still left in the world.  
Ron never saw the comet. He rushed out of the school after his audition, eager to find Diana and tell her, and all he saw was the smoke.  
The smoke curled menacingly over the distant housetops, thick and dark, and it would hardly have been deemed beautiful even if he didn’t think that he knew where it was coming from.  
But he didn’t let himself think, he merely ran.  
There was already an ambulance parked outside by the time he reached Diana’s house, men in white coats swarming around it like worried ants. The house itself was only singed, but smoke curled up lazily from the backyard and hovered over the whole area in a choking cloud. The tall back fence had been burning. The boards were blackened and broken like a pile of kindling someone had thrown on the fire, and it smelled strongly of smoke and chemicals. Diana’s father had only finished putting it up a month ago.  
“Di,” he said, but he only breathed it, as though speaking any louder would make this real. Was she here? Could she still have been at the school? Cheer practice would be finished, but maybe she had stayed there for something. Had she said anything to him? He couldn’t remember.  
“Diana!” He screamed it that time. Then he coughed from the smoke. A man in a mask thumped over to him then.  
“Stand back please, son” he said, muffled but still clear.  
“What happened? Are they okay?” Ron asked desperately. He knew he was crying, but he thought it might be from the smoke.  
“Stand back please,” the man said again, more firmly this time. Ron simply stared at him. His throat was stinging from the smoke, but his chest burned for another reason. Speech was impossible. The firefighter’s face softened behind his mask. He placed a hand on Ron’s shoulder and guided him away from the smoking, broken fence. Once they were far enough away from the smoke, the man removed his helmet, revealing a lined, craggy face softened by a graying beard. Ron knew him, he had seen him around Go city, and he thought that his mother might even be friends with this firefighter’s wife, but none of that mattered right now. The man didn’t seem to recognize Ron, and Ron was going to keep it that way. Recognition would only be a delay he couldn’t afford.  
“It’s alright son,” he said comfortingly. “They were all got out. The kids were hurt though, and they were all taken to Go Central Hospital. Do you know where…?”  
But Ron was already running. He didn’t wait to hear the rest of the firefighter’s words; they weren’t nessissary, he didn’t try to find out more; it was a waste of time, and he didn’t think about all the awful things that could have happened to his friend; that would only distract him. He merely ran towards the hospital, and his friend.

“The colourful comet, sighted by many citizens today, and lately dubbed the ‘Rainbow Comet’, has finally come to rest in a rather more violent way than its namesake would suggest.” Lue Veega paused, and smiled at the cameras. Behind her, the still smoaking ruin of Sinclair house provided a thrilling backdrop to her story. She then assumed her previous expression of professional concern and interest, and continued, making certain to always hold her microphone the proper distance from her mouth, to the fraction of a hair.   
“We now know,” she said, glancing at the prompter, “that all five Andron children were caught in the blast, and have been rushed to the hospital. At this point, it is believed that though all of the injuries were serious, only one of the children, Diana Andron, is in critical condition. I am certain that the prayers of neighbors and friends go out to this family, and we must wish them all a safe and speedy recovery. This is Lue Veega with News Now, and we’ll do our best to keep you posted, as always.”  
As the cameras flickered off, signaling the end of her segment, Lue lowered her microphone and glanced again at the smoldering building behind her. She really did hope that those kids would be okay. Truth to tell, she wished that some other reporter had been assigned here today.

It was agony.  
Diana lay on the hospital bed, bandaged from head to foot and every inch of her burned. She knew the comet had struck while she was practising a cheer rutine in the back yard, and that if it hadn’t actually hit her, it had come within a fraction of doing so. She had been in so much pain she must have passed out. She was awake now, had awakened at the hospital in only slightly less pain than before. They had told her that every inch of her skin had been scorched by the comet, and that they had wrapped her in bandages and given her painkillers. They had said that her skin should heal.   
But Diana didn’t know what they were talking about. Her skin wasn’t hurting her at all. This pain, this mind-numbing torture was coming from inside her skin. Every limb, every cell, every atom of her being was burning, and it seemed as though liquid magma was flowing through her veins, scorching everything it touched. The pain had gone down initially, and she guessed, as well as she could with what felt like her flesh was melting off of her bones, that she had been given painkillers, but now the burning was growing more intense again. She wanted to groan in agony, but even that was too much effort through the pain. She could only lie there and gaze stupidly at the blank ceiling above her, and wish for the cool relief of sleep.  
She thought that her mother had been in to see her. She had a recollection, blurred by pain, of her mother’s worried face bending over her, but now there was no one.  
She waited, and let the fire burn and burn and scorch her bones and her muscles and her very particles, and gradually the pain lessoned again. She felt the burning recede slowly, and with the gentle relief came an indescribable weariness. She wanted to sleep, but something kept her awake. She was lonely, and somehow afraid to surrender to sleep and the helplessness it would bring. Still sleep pulled her down until she was only hanging onto wakefulness by concentrating on going over her cheer routines in her head. She had been practicing that when the comet…hadn’t she?   
Through the whispers of her half doze, she heard a sudden, panicked and very welcome voice.  
“…am her family. No, I don’t….Just let me in!” There was a soft murmuring from behind the closed door of her room, and then it opened. She couldn’t see him enter because she couldn’t tilt her head far enough to see him without bringing back the pain, but she knew it was him. He came up to her bed softly, and she knew, fuzzily, that he must have been warned to be quiet.  
“Diana,” he whispered. “Di, are you okay? How are you doing?” He bent over her, and she saw his face, worried, but also happy, and relieved to see her. Diana kind of smiled, and it hurt her face. She knew it was worth it though, because his eyes glowed and he returned her smile with a gentle one of his own.   
“…m okay,” she said. He sat down then, but still leaned forward so that she could see his face.   
“You know, if you wanted to be the centre of attention, you could have just practiced more,” he said, almost earnestly enough to sound like he meant it. Diana couldn’t really laugh, but she smiled again, and her anxiety retreated somewhat. She was fading fast now and knew she couldn’t hold sleep off much longer.  
“Ron,” she said with difficulty. “…ill you ss…ay?”  
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll stay even if they try to kick me out.” He was being funny, but he was also being honest, and Diana knew that he would have stayed even if she hadn’t asked. That was good…he was….   
She was asleep before she had finished the thought, but it was alright, because she wasn’t worried any more.

Now that we’re entering the action, chapters should start to get longer. But don’t worry if you want to see what happens with Ron’s audition. All will be answered soon.  
See you all next time!


	5. Acting Normal

Best Friends Since Pre-K chapter 5  
Disclaimer: I don’t own Kim Possible. No joke this time.  
Yay! I’m back to updating and everything!   
Enjoy the chapter! 

A chill wind felt its way between buildings, nipping softly at passers-by, whispering of the last vestiges of winter before it fully gave up its hold. It flitted past Diana and she clasped her arms around herself, although mostly from reflex. She didn’t feel cold. If anything, she still felt a little too warm, as though she were slightly feverish.   
She glanced down at her clenched hands, hidden inside their brown leather gloves. That had been her first stop after leaving the hospital. Her mother had suggested it, rather hesitantly, not quite looking her in the eye, and had gone into the store to buy them for her. Diana, for her part, had waited until they got home, and then dug through her closet to unearth her winter supply of hoodies. She’d stayed up late to select her outfit for school the next day. It wasn’t strictly necessary, as she had come home on Thursday, and her parents had offered to excuse her from school the next day, but she had insisted.  
She didn’t really know why. She didn’t feel like going to school. She didn’t want the questions from friends and acquaintances, or the surreptitious looks from teachers and the rest of the student body. She knew she would get them. She had covered up as much as she could, but it was still obvious. Her hair was in a bun; she thought it was less noticeable that way, but she had declined a face mask. That would just cause more questions.   
She didn’t want to be going to school, but she would rather do that than stay home and hide. Her brothers had gotten home on Monday, and had already been back at school for a couple of days. She knew people would be asking them about her, and none of them were very good at keeping their mouths shut.  
She would like some questions of her own to be answered. The five of them had been in the backyard together. They had all been injured when the comet hit; that blinding array of colours searing them with heat and pain. They had all been hit, so why was she the only one…  
Ron was waiting at their regular corner. He was scuffing a shoe idly at the pavement, but looked up with he heard her. He smiled warmly, and Diana smiled back, though she knew it was a pale imitation.  
“Good morning Ron.”  
“Hey Di.” The blond cocked his head to the side slightly, warm brown eyes scanning over her many layers. “How’re you holding up?”  
“I’m okay.” Diana shrugged, adjusting her backpack. She didn’t really need to, but it gave her something to do with her hands. She wasn’t exactly okay, and both of them knew it, but Ron didn’t say anything to contradict her. They resumed walking towards school, shoulders hunched against the wind.  
“I got a part in the play,” Ron said suddenly. Diana stopped walking abruptly. She could feel her face heating up a little  
“Oh Ron,” she said contritely. “I forgot to even ask!”  
“Don’t worry about it.” Ron waved a hand. “I didn’t expect you to remember. You’ve had way too much going on. I just really wanted to tell you.”  
“Well, congratulations!” Diana was struck suddenly by how nice it was to talk about something normal. “What part did you get?”  
“Not The Man, of course; Michael Gordon is playing him.” Ron shrugged one shoulder. He would have liked that role, but he hadn’t really had the option. Michael always played the male leads. “I’m playing one of the people in the windows; this drunk guy at a party. He’s fun.”  
“That’s great, Ron.” Diana’s smile was more genuine now. She felt herself relax a little as Ron continued to talk, going over his part in the play and who else had made the audition. Diana enjoyed listening, and the walk passed swiftly for her. She commented occasionally, but mostly left the floor to Ron, simply enjoying being an audience. It almost felt like a normal day. At least until the school came in sight and all of her anxieties returned full force. Diana’s feet slowed, and she fell behind Ron for a moment until he noticed and halted. He didn’t say anything; just stood next to her and looked at the school building.   
The sunlight had been somewhat muted by the heavy cloud cover, and the large windows of the library were blank and empty looking. The warn, grey stone facing of the building looked darker than normal, and the small groups of students milling around outside were small and indistinct at this distance.   
“You could still go home,” Ron offered quietly. “No one’ll mind. You could come on Monday instead.”  
Diana hesitated. The proposition was more tempting now that she was actually looking at the place, but…  
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want to hide from my problems. I’m going to have to face them eventually.” She smiled at her best friend. It was still smaller than her normal smile, but she felt that it helped her give voice to what she needed to say next. “Come on Stoppable, let’s go to school.”

Diana hadn’t been worrying for nothing; there were plenty of stares. When they had first arrived at the large double doors into the school building, she had become conscious of a kind of bubble which surrounded her. People stepped out of her way, their eyes sliding over her as if they couldn’t help themselves. Perhaps they couldn’t. Ron stayed solidly by her shoulder through the whole harrying walk; through the double doors, down the hallway, turn to the left to their lockers.   
Neither of them wanted to spend too much time in the hallways. There were lots of people who were apparently passing by but who had unexpected loose shoelaces to tie up, or schedules in their backpacks that just had to be gone over right then. Nobody approached them, so Diana and Ron did their best to ignore the watchers. The two of them grabbed their books and binders for the first block, than made a beeline for the relative privacy of their first period History class. Ron snagged a couple of seats near the back of the classroom, clearly feeling the pressure almost as much as she did. The two of them sank down gratefully and busied themselves pretending to get their notes in order while the rest of the class filed in.  
Several times she heard someone approach like they wanted to talk to her, but as Diana was very studiously buried in the depths of her binder, they went away after a minute. She knew she couldn’t avoid the questions and comments forever, but she wasn’t quite ready to stop pretending that this was just another Friday. Gradually the classroom filled.  
As Mr. Cormac took attendance, Diana lifted her eyes surreptitiously, and was relieved to see that, while she had garnered some looks as the students took their seats, attention had now fully shifted to the teacher. It was helpful that first period was history. Mr. Cormac was a fun teacher, but he was also strict and kept a firm order in his classes.   
Diana let herself relax again. It seemed like the day was going to go basically how she had expected, but that was fine. She could handle the staring. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was manageable. She was glad she didn’t have cheer practice today. She would have to take off her gloves and turtleneck, and she wasn’t ready to do that. She frowned internally. She didn’t like this feeling. Shaking away her thoughts, Diana lifted her eyes again to focus on the front of the room, where her teacher had begun writing on the whiteboard. Right now, she would just have to take the day one hour at a time.  
In fact, the first two periods of the day went fairly well. After History, Diana had Biology, but Ron had to go to Social Studies. He offered to sneak into her class wearing a fake beard, but Diana waved him off. She couldn’t stay glued to him all day, and she didn’t want him to miss his classes for her. She got through that period much the same as the first. She kept her head down and exuded a very clear vibe of leave me alone. Grade 11 Biology was a tough course, and Ms. Daniels liked to lecture, so the entire class was focused on desperate note taking. Diana managed to slip out right at the bell for break in case anyone tried to catch her eye. She was supposed to meet Ron, but she had to use the washroom first, and she was also feeling a little overwhelmed.  
When she got to the washroom, Diana slipped inside a stall and stayed in there a little longer than necessary, until she couldn’t hear any other voices. She opened the stall door to find an empty washroom, and washed her hands with an eye on the door. As she was drying them, her eyes wandered up to the large mirror above the row of sinks, and then she found she couldn’t look away.   
The washroom lights were harsh, and she stared at her face with a kind of sick fascination. Slowly, one still damp hand was raised and Diana gently touched her green-tinged cheek. She examined her face in the mirror; green skin, green eyes, even a green sheen to her long, black hair. Diana pulled her gloves on hurriedly. This could still be temporary, but it had shown no signs of diminishing in the week since her bandages had come off.  
Narrowing her eyes, Diana turned from her reflection. It was time to meet Ron, and it was probably time to talk to people as well. She had thirty minutes until classes resumed, and she couldn’t ignore them forever. With a final glare behind her, Diana Sinclair left the relative safety of the washroom, and headed out to find her best friend.

Thanks for reading!   
No, Diana and her brothers haven’t developed/discovered their powers yet. We will begin to see a little of that in the next few chapters. We will also begin to see a little more of Diana’s family, including the brothers. We will see how Ron interacts with them, as he is the altered part of this AU. I always found it interesting that Shego was the only one of the siblings who couldn’t make her skin appear normal. In this AU I am planning to have it so that when her brothers are accessing their powers, their skins are coloured, but Shego’s is always that way.  
I am trying to update my stories as much as possible over the summer before everything gets busy again. Next up will be either a chapter for Loving You Behind Closed Doors, or one for Shades of Self.  
Hope you enjoyed, and see you soon!


	6. Opening Salvo

Best Friends Since Pre-K chapter 6  
Disclaimer: I don’t own Kim Possible. Woe is me.  
Welcome to chapter 6! I’m so glad people are still enjoying this story, despite the age it took for me to update. Thanks for waiting, and I’ll try to make it worth it.

The lunchroom was crowded, and it took a moment for Diana to spot Ron amid the crowds of rowdy students. He was sitting at a round table in a corner over near the windows. It was tucked away slightly and out of the general bustle of the busy room. The location had probably been intentional, and she felt a little rush of appreciation. It was nice to have someone looking out for you. She started towards him, but someone stepped into her path. Diana paused, looking the redhead over with apprehension. It would have been easier if she could lead up to this confrontation, but the universe was rarely that nice.

“It’s such a relief to see you back in school, Sinclair.” One dainty hand rested on a hip, and the head tilted to regard her. “I mean, it was such a shock for everyone. We all expected you to come back scarred or….” Hazel eyes swept up and down Diana, lingering on her exposed skin for just long enough to be noticeable before the girl finished. “Deformed.”

“That’s great, Abby. Thanks _so_ much for your concern.” Diana tried to keep her voice neutral, not wanting to rise to the other girl’s attempts to get under her skin. She couldn’t help the little trickle of sarcasm that found its way into her voice, however.

“Not at all,” Abby continued, voice loaded with fake sympathy. “I just want you to remember that we all _care_ about you. And I’m sure _that…_ ” her eyes darted back to Diana’s skin, wide and innocent, “is just temporary, right?”

Diana’s patience snapped. She felt an unpleasant heat trickle through her veins, but managed to keep the anger off of her face. She stepped briskly around the obstacle in her path, patting the other girl’s shoulder as she passed. 

“Good talk Abby,” she said, as brightly as she could manage. Once she was clear, she made a beeline for Ron’s table, making sure to maintain her neutral expression. Abby would probably remark on how rude she had just been, but Diana couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. All she wanted was to distance herself from Abby before the creep got even more obvious.

Ron looked up as Diana flung herself into the seat on the other side of the table. He had been reading over his copy of the script for _7 Stories_ while he was waiting, and must not have seen the confrontation.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Diana groaned softly. She shot a glance back the way she had come, and Ron followed her gaze to the redhead who had started heading off, probably to torment someone else. “Oh,” he concluded, looking distinctly unhappy. “Di, I’m sorry. I should have…”

“Don’t be sorry Ron,” Diana interrupted. “You can’t follow me everywhere. She was probably waiting for an opportunity.”

“Yeah.” Ron grimaced, eyes following Abby until she was out of sight. He looked back over at his friend, now digging through her backpack to find her lunch bag. Diana pulled the lid off of her pasta salad, digging her fork into the noodles rather viciously. “What did she say?”

“It could have been worse.” Diana shrugged. She took a large bite of her salad, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. “She pretended to be worried about me and stared a lot. I doubt that’s the end of it though. She’s got the whole weekend to think of new ways to call me a freak.”

“Who cares.” Ron unwrapped his tuna sandwich, but didn’t take a bite. His eyes were on the table, and his voice was quiet. “She can always find _something_ to make fun of. She just picks on us when she doesn’t have anything better to do. Don’t let it stress you out. She’s not worth it.”

Diana cracked a small smile at him. “I don’t know that I can help the stress, but thanks Ron.” She took another bite of her lunch, but more calmly this time. Her eye caught the open script on the table beside him. “How’s memorizing going?”

The rest of the day was surprisingly low key. A few of Ron and Diana’s friends and acquaintances were the only other people who approached her. Their conversations were awkward, but well meaning at least, and though it set Diana’s teeth on edge, she responded to their concerns and questions. She could feel them looking at her face and hair, but no one asked about it. The looks and whispers from the student body continued through lunch and the afternoon classes, but no one else seemed to feel like confronting her. It still took a toll however, and by the time the final bell rang Diana was ready to drop. She and Ron grabbed what they needed from their lockers and made their escape from the school. 

Diana let out a sigh of relief and stretched her arms high above her head. The afternoon sun was warm on her face and she felt relaxed for the first time that day. Ron grinned beside her, than flopped backwards onto the grass. 

“I’m _tired,_ ” he moaned. “I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty done,” Diana agreed. She nudged her friend in his side with one foot. “Get up, Stoppable. I need to find somewhere I can collapse without getting grass stains on my jeans.” 

“Sure.” Ron rose obligingly. “I hope you don’t mind collapsing in a restaurant or something though, because I’m taking you out for a treat. Where do you want to go?”  
Diana blinked. She hadn’t really thought of doing anything other than going home and locking herself in her room, but she realized suddenly that she didn’t really want to do that. She had spent enough time in her room. 

“It’s Friday,” she remembered. “How about a movie? We could get something to eat at the theater.” And a movie theater would be dark.

“Sounds good. We can leave our backpacks at my place if you want. It’s on the way.”

“Alright,” Diana agreed, slinging one arm around her friend’s shoulders. “But if you’re treating, than I get to choose the movie.” 

“The horror!” Ron raised his free arm in a mock-tragic gesture. Diana chuckled and started off down the sidewalk with her friend following. She pushed the frustrating day out of her mind. Right now, she just wanted to have some fun with her best friend.

When Diana got home it was almost seven in the evening. Both cars were missing, indicating that her parents were still out working. Her father would probably be home soon, but Diana remembered that her mother’s law firm was working on an important case, so she would probably be out until at least ten. 

Diana didn’t mind. She felt better after snacks and the movie, which had ended up being a fun Godzilla remake, but she was tired, and she wanted some time to herself before bed. If she could just manage to dodge her brothers she would be in the clear. She unlocked then opened the front door and heard the sound of the television from the living room. It was the theme song from a cartoon she had heard before, so the twins were probably down there. She didn’t remember the name of the show, but it was one of their favourites. She toed off her sneakers, maundering them onto the shoe mat with a few nudges of her feet.

“Hey sis, how was school?” Diana turned to find Mason standing in the kitchen door, his skinny arms crossed. 

“So much fun,” she said sarcastically. Her younger brother snorted in response. 

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Everyone’s just worried about us because the comet was on the news and we were all in the hospital. They’ll calm down.”

 _Easy for you to say,_ Diana mused, not without some resentment. _You look normal._ She didn’t voice the thought.  
“Where’s Hugo?” she asked instead.

“Working late,” Mason answered. “You know he’s got that new job at Brad’s Coffee. Wants to impress his _girlfriend,_ I think.” He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Diana rolled her eyes. Mason would love a girlfriend himself, but though he dated a lot of girls, none of them had stayed long enough for the title. He contented himself with making fun of Hugo’s relationship at every opportunity. In Diana’s opinion, Mason was too self-absorbed for anyone to want to date him for long. She moved past her brother into the kitchen and poured herself a glass or orange juice from the fridge. 

“Where did you go after school anyway?” Mason asked. Diana frowned. It wasn’t any of his business.

“To a movie,” she said shortly. She put her empty glass in the sink and headed for the stairs. She should really do an hour of homework before bed, but she didn’t feel like it. She was bone weary. Mason looked like he wanted to keep talking so she fixed him with an icy glare that made his mouth snap shut. As she climbed the stairs, Diana could hear him pick up the kitchen phone and start dialing someone, probably one of his friends. 

Diana’s room was reassuringly empty. She dumped her backpack beside her desk and lay down on her bed, on top of sheets and her blue comforter. She was so glad tomorrow was a Saturday. She felt like she could sleep for a week. 

Slowly, Diana pulled off one of her gloves, than the other. In the warm light of her overhead her skin wasn’t quite as noticeable as it had been in the washroom at school, but it still had that green tint to it. She pulled a lock of hair in front of her face, noting the green shine to the black strands. Would it fade, she wondered, or would she be like this forever? None of her brothers had changed like this. With a sigh she flung her arms above her head a stared up at the ceiling. She didn’t want to think about this right now, or ever really. 

After a minute Diana Sinclair got up and pulled on her pyjamas. She brushed her teeth and ran her wire brush through her hair, but she kept her eyes off of the mirror while she did it.

Thanks for reading!  
Sorry if anyone thought the redhead was Kim. I thought I’d give Shego another reason why Kim got under her skin. Kim still lives in Middleton. It’s just that Ron’s family moved to Goh city when he was only a few years old. His father is an actuary after all, and he can work anywhere. And naturally, in this AU Ron and Shego are the same age, 15. Kim is probably 15 as well. I’m not sure whether I will have Kim in the story later, but possibly. I am considering.   
In this story, I am treating Shego’s brothers as though their skin and hair is normal when not using their powers/in their superhero identities. I remember seeing Hego looking normal while he was using his secret identity, and even though that may have just been a disguise, I like the idea of giving Shego another separation from her brothers and making things harder for her.  
Sorry these chapters are still so short. But hey, it let me keep my deadline for posting something at least once a week.  
See you all soon!


	7. Ignition

Best Friends Since Pre-K chapter 7  
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.  
Happy New Year everyone! Best wishes for everyone in 2021!  
I’m really happy to see how many people are enjoying this story, and finding Diana believable. We are finally starting to get to the meat of this story, I think.   
Happy reading!

It started gradually, and just when Diana was starting to lower her guard.

At first, it seemed like life was settling down for her. The confrontations with Abby and other students came as she had dreaded, and she dealt with them as well as she could, although she found herself getting more sarcastic with her classmate’s questions as the days wore on. Even the well-meaning comments rankled at her. Ron was a solid wall of support through each of them, just as she had been for him many times when things got ugly, and it helped, even when the comments came from a few people she had previously viewed as friends. 

The stares didn’t really go away, but the novelty of her new skin tone wore off after a while, though the colour itself remained unfortunately noticeable, and Diana no longer had to force herself into the school building every day. There were still people shooting her uncomfortable looks, and not just at school but everywhere else she went in Go City. The stares she got from adults were less obvious, but they were still there. Sometimes she would feel eyes on her in a grocery store, or while she was looking through shelves at the library, and would turn to find a stranger looking hastily away. 

Eventually, Diana found that her patience for all of this was starting to wear thin. After weeks of wearing extra clothing and getting stared at anyway, Diana decided she had had enough and left the house in the morning in a crop top and jean shorts. She was done with hiding, and the rest of the world would just have to deal with it.

Ron didn’t say anything when she met him at the corner, but he stuck even closer to her side during the next few days until the stares died down again, rather evoking a skinny, freckled bodyguard. 

It was a good thing he was with her during all of this, because it was then that the prickling beneath her skin, which had died down after her time in the hospital, started building again. 

At first it was just a tingle at intermittent times. Diana would rub unconsciously at the area where her skin felt overly sensitive, and it would subside. Then she started noticing it as the tingle you feel when your foot starts to wake up after falling asleep. It was stronger, and she frequently needed to pause what she was doing and give it time to die down. Sometimes she would feel it in her arms or one leg, or across her back, but it seemed to happen the most in her hands, and the tingling was strongest in this area, and the most painful. One day, after the feeling had been building for about a week, Diana was carrying a stack of plates to set the table when both hands began suddenly to spasm as the feeling ran through them. She fumbled and several plates slipped off the stack to smash at her feet. The next minute the feeling was gone, and Diana was left with nothing but the broken china pieces, which she cleaned up hurriedly. 

She didn’t tell anyone about the tingling, even Ron. The feelings were so gradual when they started it didn’t seem important, and Diana couldn’t help hoping that they would go away on their own. She didn’t want to have to go back to the hospital, and didn’t want to hear the rumours that would circulate if she did. As they escalated in intensity, she knew she needed to tell someone, but she kept putting it off. It wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have.

However, after the plate incident, Diana knew she needed to confide in someone, and she couldn’t justify waiting any longer. She retreated to her room after supper with the intent of calling Ron, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to acknowledge the feelings; didn’t want them to be real. She didn’t want to have to deal with what would come next. She sat for close to twenty minutes on her bed with the phone cradled in her lap, then returned it to its table in the hallway with a sigh. She supposed this wasn’t really the kind of thing she wanted to talk about over the phone anyway. She could confide in Ron tomorrow after school, and he could help her decide what to do.   
Diana went to bed early, snuggling under her sheet, but leaving the blankets off. She had felt too warm for blankets the last few nights. She was tired, but it took a long time for sleep to find her, and then it was a light sleep, frequently disturbed by tingles under her skin.

Diana was late to the corner the next morning. Ron didn’t notice at first. He was busy sorting through his backpack in a desperate search for his script. Rehearsal was today, and he planned to practice during lunch if he could find a deserted area. It took approximately five minutes of panicked rummaging before he realized the script was tucked under his arm, and had been since he left the house that morning. That was when he noticed that his friend hadn’t yet arrived.

Ron frowned. It had only been five minutes, but Diana was never late for their walk to school. Her parents were very strict about punctuality. He chewed his lip, uncertain whether he should start walking towards Diana’s house or wait for another few minutes. As he was thinking, Diana suddenly came barreling around the corner. She halted in front of him, breathing heavily, and Ron could see that her face was paler than usual beneath its new green tint. Her hair was a little bedraggled, and her eyes were distant. She was wearing her gloves again too, first time in a week.

“You alright, Di?” He reached out to steady her with one hand, but Diana shrugged him off as though his touch would burn her. She stood for a moment, taking several deep breaths. Her eyes met his and she smiled a little, apologetically. 

“Sorry Ron,” she said finally. “I’m okay. I just slept in, I guess.” 

Ron raised an eyebrow skeptically. She didn’t look like she had slept in, she looked like she’d just seen a ghost.

“You’re sure?” he questioned. “You can tell me if something’s bothering you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Diana hesitated for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. She met his eyes levelly. “There _is_ something bothering me,” she corrected, “But I really don’t want to talk about it right now, even with you.” She looked pleadingly at him. “Would you be patient with me, Ron? I’ll tell you everything after school.”

Ron was a little taken aback.

“Sure Di, if that’s what you need,” he fumbled.

“Thanks, Ron.” Diana still looked a little harried. She readjusted her backpack straps, fingers fiddling nervously. Nope, she definitely didn’t want to talk right now. 

“Well, we should really start walking to school.” Ron pretended not to notice the look of relief at the subject change that shot across Diana’s face. 

“Yes, absolutely!” she agreed, and began walking swiftly down their usual path. Ron had to hurry for a moment until he could catch up with her. He noticed that they were walking a little too quickly for comfortable conversation, and shot an unobtrusive glance at his friend, whos’ eyes were focused steadily on the sidewalk just in front of her running shoes. 

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t worried. It wasn’t like Diana to keep things to herself like this, but at least she had agreed to tell him what had happened after school. Whatever it was, he would find out then, and he would do whatever he could to fix it. In the meantime, he would just have to be patient and trust that Diana had things under control. Still, he made a mental note to stick close to her today. That was what friends were for after all.

Diana felt like she was caught in a tornado, being whipped and torn at by winds as sharp as knives. She glanced around self consciously as they entered the old school building, but nobody was looking at her today. Good. She could do this. She glanced to her left where Ron was walking noticeably closer to her again. 

She should have told him what happened this morning, but she just couldn’t form the words, even in her head. Talking about it would make it real, _thinking_ about it would make it real, and more than anything what she wanted was for it not to be real.

 _You’re going to have to tell him after school._ She shook the thought away, annoyed. That was something she would have to deal with when it came. 

She glanced down at her covered hands warily. They felt fine right now, just a little sweaty from the gloves, but she was used to that. Still, she felt the sudden urge to check, just to make sure, and had to clamp down hurriedly on the feeling. It would be better to just go to class and pretend that everything was normal.

She moved on autopilot to her locker to find her math books. Ron was quiet as he did the same, but she could feel him at her back, creating a slight wall between her and the rest of the students and had a flash of gratitude. She hadn’t told him anything, and he was still helping her. The familiarity helped her to relax, just a little.

 _It’ll be alright,_ she told herself. _You can get through the day. It’ll be fine._

But it wasn’t.

First period went well. It was a new lesson on integers, and the class was occupied feverishly writing notes. It was easy to stay focused on writing terms and sample questions without letting her mind wander. Diana’s hands tingled a couple of times while she was writing, but the sensation was brief, and she was able to ignore it for the most part. When she felt it, she looked down quickly at her gloved hands, but there was no visible change.

Second period was different. After a brief lesson, Ms. Mackenzie told the class that they had the rest of the period to study for the science test at the end of the week, and retreated to her desk to grade some papers. Diana barricaded herself behind her books, but she couldn’t concentrate on studying. There was always whispering during a study period, and today was no exception. And, as so often happened these days, some of the whispering was about her.

_“…really think she did it to herself?”_

Diana loudly scribbled some notes on a blank page of her notebook, trying to ignore the voices.

_“Think about it, Dean. All the kids got hit, but she’s the only one who changed colour.”_

_“Still though, who would even want to look like that?”_

Diana turned the page in her textbook, but she wasn’t reading. Her hands were tingling again, but she ignored them. She didn’t want to hear this, but she strained her ears to listen anyway.

_“Weirdos. I’m telling you; she probably likes all the attention.”_

Diana was so mad her head was hurting. She wanted to march over and slam both of their stupid faces into their desks. The words on the page in front of her blurred unrecognizably and the tingling in her hands intensified painfully and then was suddenly gone. At the same time, her sturdy leather gloves burst suddenly into brilliant green flame, igniting the textbook she was holding and papers underneath it. 

Diana screamed. She lurched backward into the two students behind her, who scattered to get out of her way, screaming as well. Diana grabbed the desk to steady herself, then recoiled in horror as her hands melted into it with a bright green flair and a reek of burning chemicals. Most of the class was yelling or screaming now, but Diana barely heard them, or the wail of the fire alarm. All she knew was that she needed to get out of here, right now. She vaulted over the smoking desk and was out through the door, ignoring the cries of the class and Ms. Mackenzie behind her. Students and teachers were starting to emerge from classrooms in response to the fire alarm, and Diana ducked into the nearest washroom, backing to the sink with the vague thought of putting her burning hands in water. She froze when she caught sight of her hands in the mirror. Her hands had ignited only briefly in her room this morning, and had gone out almost as soon as she noticed them. She hadn’t had a chance to see what they looked like, not that she had wanted to, but now she couldn’t help pausing for a closer look.

The gloves were completely gone now, burned to ash, and her hands glowed a steady, but undulating green. It surrounded her hands from wrist to fingers, and didn’t really look like flame. It was too steady, and didn’t rise and tendrils the way a fire did. And it wasn’t hurting her.

“What’s happening to me?” Diana asked. Even as she spoke the glow faltered and died, leaving her hands their normal pale green, and she became aware of the fire alarm still beeping insistently, and the noise from the rest of the school as they evacuated. The last thing she wanted to do was go out there and join them. 

It has begun!  
Of course it started in the hands. ;)  
Next up will be the next chapter for Shades Of Self unless I get a flash of inspiration for another story. :)   
See you soon!


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